Lofty Heights... 'Ohhh Bobby Zamooooora!!!'

A look at Queens Park Rangers F.C. through the eyes of the fans - follow us on twitter @loftyheights70, @LoftyQPR and @qprleeroy

Wednesday, March 31, 2010

R's on the Road To.......... Leicester City.

On Bank Holiday Monday hot on the heels of the Sheffield Wednesday game the R’s face a tricky fixture against high flying Leicester City. With The Foxes in the Play Off places and looking certain to take part in the end of season shoot out for the final promotion place to the Premiership this looks to be the R’s toughest test at The Walkers Stadium, a ground that we have enjoyed visiting in recent years.Here are a few bits that you may find useful in the build up to the game.

Club History.

Leicester were formed in 1884 by a group of old boys at Wyggeston School under the name of Leicester Fosse and in 1890 the club joined the Football Association. A year later the club moved to Filbert Street which was to be the clubs home for over 111 years. Previously the club had five different homes which included Victoria Park and the Belgrave Cricket and Bicycle Ground.The club joined the Midland League in 1891 and it was in 1894 that Leicester Fosse were elected to the Football League Division 2 having finished 4th in the league.The clubs first game in the Football League ended in a 4-3 defeat at Grimsby but this was quickly followed up with a first win in their first home league game at Filbert Street against Rotherham. In the same season the club recorded their largest win to date, a 13-0 victory over Notts Olympic in an FA Cup qualifying match.In the 1907-08 season Leicester Fosse finished second in Division 2 and gained promotion to the top tier for the first time in their history. The following season the club were relegated back to Division 2 in a season that included the clubs record defeat, a 12-0 loss to Nottingham Forest.In 1919 when the League resumed after World War 1, Leicester Fosse ceased trading due to financial difficulties which have not been disclosed. The club were soon reformed as Leicester City, which was appropriate due to the borough of Leicester just gaining City status. In 1949 the club reached their first FA Cup final but ended up losing to Wolves 1-0. Just a week later the club were celebrating however when a draw secured the clubs position in Division 2 having been threatened by relegation.In 1959 one the clubs most successful managers, Matt Gillies, took the helm and in 1961 and 1963 lead The Foxes to the FA Cup final but on both occasions finished runners up to Spurs and Manchester United respectively. Despite the clubs knock back in 1963 it was the following season that saw the club pick up their first Cup success by winning the League Cup with a 4-3 aggregate victory over Stoke. The following season the club reached the League Cup final once more but this time lost 3-2 on aggregate to Chelsea. Gillies resigned in November 1968 after a poor start to the season and his successor Frank O’Farrell reached the FA Cup final, the final appearance to date for the club, and once again the club failed to secure success in the competition after losing 1-0 to Manchester City. That same season the club were relegated to Division 2.The 1990’s saw the club rise into the Premiership having first lost in the Play Off Finals to Blackburn in 1991-92 and then losing in the final in 1992-93 to Swindon 4-3, having been 3-0 down. However in the 1993-94 Play Off Final the club beat Derby 2-1 to reach the Premiership under Brian Little’s guidance. Little then left his post the following November and was replaced by Mark McGhee, who saw the club relegated back to Division 1 after only one season in the top flight. In December 1995 McGhee left The Foxes to join Wolves and his replacement was highly regarded manager Martin O’Neill. Under O’Neill’s guidance the club secured a Play Off place and a last gasp Steve Claridge goal in the Final against Crystal Palace secured the clubs instant return to the Premiership. The following season Leicester won their first piece of silverware in 26 years when they won the League Cup against Middlesbrough in a replay at Hillsborough in 1997. In 1999 the club once again reached the Final and were defeated by Spurs 1-0. An instant return to the 2000 final was secured and O’Neill’s Foxes defeated Tranmere 2-1 as the club enjoyed its third success of the competition. After the 2000 final O’Neill was lured away to take charge of Celtic after enjoying four successive top ten finishes to go with his two League Cup triumph’s and one runners up medal in the same competition, cementing O’Neill’s place as the clubs most successful manager.Two seasons later the club got relegated down to the newly formed Championship and since then have not returned to the top flight.Having been relegated to League One during Ian Holloway’s reign in the 2007-08 season it was Nigel Pearson that took the leading role in leading Leicester to an instant return to the Championship by winning the League at the first attempt.

The Stadium.

Current Capacity – 32,500.

Leicester moved to the Walkers Stadium in 2002 having spent 111 years at nearby Filbert Street.The stadium is a modern bowl shaped model that is fully enclosed and equal heights all the way around. The stadium cost £35 million to construct.The away fans are housed in the North east corner of the ground where around 3,000 visiting fans can be accommodated. The atmosphere in the ground on our previous visits has been pretty good. If we score and everyone in jumping around you can feel the stand rocking underneath your feet. The atmosphere is also added to by the Leicester drummer that will be on your right hand side right at the back of the stand. On our visit in 2006 I can vividly remember there being some good banter between the Rangers’ support and the drummer which ended in the drummer giving 10 big bangs and then being so knackered from his efforts that he went quiet for 10-15 minutes or so.The concourse is of a fair size and has TV screens that will show the action whilst the game is in play, so if you need to nip downstairs for refreshments you shouldn’t miss any of the action.

The History between the teams.

At Leicester City (24)

Leicester City 13QPR 6Draw 5

The R’s are unbeaten in their last three fixtures at the Walkers Stadium, a run that stretches back until September 2005.Having lost 1-0 to Leicester in the first meeting at the Walkers in Jan 2005, Rangers’ went there the following season in September 2005 seeking revenge. Marc Nygaard got the R’s off to the perfect start when he headed home from a Lee Cook free kick. With just 20 minutes on the clock Leicester were then given an even more uphill struggle after Alan Maybury was dismissed when he mistimed a tackle on Paul Furlong. Despite their numerical disadvantage it was Leicester that equalised with 20 minutes to go, Elvis Hammond fired home from inside the area and left R’s ‘keeper Simon Royce with no chance. However with 4 minutes left Rangers’ regained the lead when Furlong stabbed home the winner after Lomas had lumped a long ball up to Furlong, who in turn played the ball to Nygaard before receiving the ball back from the big Dane and grabbing his first goal of the season and sealing Rangers’ first away win of the season.The following year Rangers’ enjoyed an even better win at the Walkers. A 3-1 win was dubbed by many who attended the game as ‘I was there when Nygaard scored’ after the big Dane scored a penalty and then followed it up with an audacious volley from 30 yards out when out on the right wing! On loan Indigo Idiakez scored the opener just after half time when Lee Cook’s cross was nodded back by Nygaard and Idiakez was on hand to power home a header.

The last encounter was a 1-1 draw. Ian Hume gave Leicester a second half lead from the penalty spot but 10 minutes from time Mikele Leigertwood thumped home an effort from 30 yards out that found the bottom corner.Will the run continue? We will find out on Monday.

How to get there.

By Car: - The postcode for the Walkers Stadium is LE2 7FL.Leave the M1 at Junction 21 and follow the A5460 that will lead you to Leicester City centre. Go down this road until u pass under a railway bridge, 200 yards after this is a set of traffic lights, turn right here (Upperton Road). As you go down this road you will see the stadium appear on your right hand side just before you reach the roundabout, take a right at the roundabout and follow the road round until you get to the Walkers. You will pass the site of Leicester’s old Filbert Street ground.

By Train: - The train station is in the City Centre and will take you around 20-25 minutes to walk to the ground should you choose to walk the distance.Come out of the station, cross the road in front of the station and proceed to the left. Follow this round to the right and now you are walking with the main Central Ring Road (Waterloo Way) on your left. Keep this to your left as the pavement becomes a separate path and the road sinks down into a dip down to your left. A quick left and right to stay on the pathway as it crosses New Walk and you go down the left hand side of New Walk Museum. The pathway rejoins the main road as pavement again and you see Nelson Mandela Park on your right. Turn right into Lancaster Rd and then cross the park to the crossings over the main road by the public lavatories. Head for the Victory pub opposite, turn left across the front of the Leicester Royal infirmary. First right into Walnut St and you can see the stadium behind the old Filbert Street ground.

Pubs 'n' Grub.

I would highly recommend the Counting House pub which is just to the side of the big Morrison’s supermarket. In my visits there I have always witnessed a friendly atmosphere within the pub which is shared by both sets of supporters. Food is also served in the pub so it ticks all the boxes in terms of pre match entertainment. The pub is a 5-10 minute walk from the stadium and it located just off of Aylestone Road.

Saturday, March 27, 2010

Priskin in Goal Scoring Shock...

Rangers fought back from two goals down to claim what was a much deserved point against Preston North End, with Peter Ramage and Tamas Priskin, yes, Priskin, scoring the R's goals.

Well, firstly, a big THANK YOU to Lee for his somewhat generous welcome back for myself and the thanks continue to Lee for doing a fantastic job with the site this season, I'm sure you all agree!

Sadly, for various reason's spanning from work - illness - finances, there was no Lofty Heights presence at Deepdale this afternoon, which is unusual as it can often lead to a short hop over to Blackpool for weekend's entertainment. Personally, a bout of gastric flu kept myself from making the long ol poke up North and I had sofa shopping with my family to fill the football gap. That's about as far as I went as I was unable to catch even the commentary. However, on return to my car, I just caught the score and the R's were 2-0 down through Jones and Davidson and at the point, I ashamedly admit that I had given up and switched off the radio. Had I had waited a few more seconds, I would have heard that Peter Ramage had pulled one back for the R's after being put clear by Adel Taarabt.

On my return home, I was delighted to see that the R's had grabbed a point but was somewhat surprised to see that Priskin had scored the all important equaliser. Adel Taarabt again the supplier, feeding Priskin who cooly slotted home on 66 minutes. According to the BBC Sport website, 'Taarabt had turned in a scintillating display, inspiring QPR to come from two goals down and earn a point.'

In summary, well, without being there , it's difficult to comment, but personally, I am more than happy with a good away point, especially coming from 2 goals down, which shows just how resilient the R's are becoming under Neil Warnock. Normal service will be resumed next week at the Sheff Weds home game, but unfortunately, it will be my ramblings yet again... it's good to be back!! ;)

Legend returns on short term loan deal.

In breaking news today it has been revealed that the biggest signing of the season has been made as Lofty Heights is proud to announce the emergency loan signing of a LH legend, its founder Lofty!

Lofty has agreed to return for a three game period covering the Preston, Sheffield Wednesday and Leicester games over the next ten days.The move will hopefully give us a bit more firepower going into the final stages of the season as we look to finish a good season and end on a real high.

Lofty's return is sure to please many of the pages loyal readers and I hope you will join me in welcoming him back 'home' and enjoys his time back in the spotlight.

Thursday, March 25, 2010

R's Sign Serbian International Tosic.

This afternoon QPR announced the signing of Serbian International defender Dusko Tosic on loan until the end of the season from troubled Premiership club Portsmouth, subject to Football League approval.

Tosic plays mainly as a left back but can also operate as a centre back.Tosic began his career in his native Serbia playing for OFK Beograd before moving to French club Sochaux for the 2006-07 season but only spent one season with the club as other European clubs from Italy, Germany and Spain were expressing an interest. He transferred to Werder Bremen for the 2007–08 season, where he signed a contract until 2011. On 1 February 2010 his contract with Bremen was dissolved. Tosic then went on to join Portsmouth in 12th February 2010 but due to the clubs financial problems the Premier League witheld his registration and prevented the Sebian from playing for the club. It was agreed that Tosic could join another English club, as long as they were not in the top flight. The Serbian had been training with Swansea over recent weeks but saw the deal held up by the Football Association. This allowed Rangers' to come in and approach the defender and have convinced him to join us in W12.

Tosic told the Official QPR Website "All I want to do is play games, and hopefully I will get that chance here with Queens Park Rangers. I didn't want to play for any Championship team, it had to be right. I have watched a couple of QPR matches and there are some very good players here. The Club has a great tradition also, which is important."

Lofty Heights would like to welcome Dusko Tosic and hopes he enjoys his time here between now and the end of the season.

Wednesday, March 24, 2010

R's on the Road........... To Preston North End.

This Saturday Rangers’ fans make the long ol’ poke up to Lancashire to visit a Preston North End that has been inconsistent of late, taking just one win in their last six games. Rangers’ now haven’t won in their last four outings and are searching for an all important win to go towards securing safety before a difficult end of season period kicks in. Here are a few pointers that may help you on your trip to Deepdale.

The Stadium.

Current Capacity – 23,408.

Preston were founded in 1880 and were founder members of the English Football League in 1888. Preston became the first ever Champions of the League in its first season and were also the first team to go an entire season unbeaten in the League and FA Cup throughout a season. The feat was made even more remarkable as they didn’t concede a solitary goal in their FA Cup run. Only Arsenal have gone on to match Preston’s unbeaten season and done so in the 2003/04 season, Arsenal however played 38 games to Preston’s 22.Since being relegated from the top flight in 1961 the club have failed to return to the top flight but in 1964 they did reach the FA Cup final but were losers to eventual winners West Ham.The Deepdale stadium was built in 1860 and was eventually opened in 1878. This makes Deepdale the longest continuously used ground in the world. In 2011 it would have been used for 135 years.Since 1996 the ground has had a major facelift. All four sides of the ground have been rebuilt and the finished article is a very clean and unique looking stadium that the fans can be proud of. The final piece of the puzzle was installed at the beginning of last season when the Invincibles Pavilion Stand was opened in 2008. This is a unique stand which can only be described as a shallow tiered stand with 22 executive boxes running along the back of the stand.The National Football Museum is also at Deepdale, located on the corner of the Bill Shankly Kop End. It was decided that Preston would be the place for the museum as the club were the first ever winners of the English League Championship and therefore making Preston the first home of English football.Away fans are located in the left of the Bill Shankly Kop End with an initial allocation of 3,000 tickets handed out but the whole 6,000 seats in that end can be requested for large away followings.The facilities in the away end are pretty good and the view of the pitch is unobstructed and is very good. The home fans in general are very friendly and always willing to help you find where you are going if needed. This fixture has always been an enjoyable trip, apart from the end results recently, let’s hope that this changes from this weekend.

The History between the teams.

At Preston (15)

Preston 6QPR 3Draw 6

Rangers’ last visit to Deepdale was on the final game of the season last year when a 2-1 Preston victory helped Preston leapfrog Cardiff and secure the final Play Off place. The home victory was celebrated by both sets of fans as the R’s bitter rivals fell out of the Play Offs having looked certainties for automatic promotion for the majority of the season. John Parkin and Sean St. Ledger scored either side of Patrick Agyemang’s leveller.To find the last time the R’s won at the Lilywhites you have to scroll down the history books to 23rd February 1980 when the Superhoops won 3-0 in a second division fixture.

How to get there.

By Car:- The Postcode for Deepdale is PR1 6RU.The quickest way to Preston is to leave the M6 at junction 31 and at the roundabout take the 1st exit onto the A59. A mile up the road you will come to another roundabout, this time take the 2nd exit onto the A5085. Two miles up the road from here you will reach a set of traffic lights. Turn left onto the A6063 and just up the road you will reach the ground.Parking is available is various places and is usually reasonably priced. We usually park in a school car park which is a 5 minute walk from the ground. The reason we park there is because all proceeds raised go towards the school and is a very worthy cause rather than lining someone’s pockets.If you are planning on visiting a pub before the game then you could also park up at Sumners Pub (which I will recommend later) for £3 and kill two birds with one stone.

By Train:- The train station is about a mile and a half away from the ground and can be walked in around 20 minutes, past quite a few pubs.Leave the Preston railway station via the main entrance, and head right at the top of the drive. This is the main High Street. Continue along the High Street, passing all the usual big name shops. The High Street (or Church Street as it's known) is about a mile long, and you will pass a church and a bike shop as you come to its end. Simply carry on walking along this street, and when you reach the ring road, you head straight over the large traffic lights, heading towards Preston Prison. Turn left at the Prison into Church Street, then take a left into Deepdale Road. The ground and now straight down the road, half a mile or so away.

Pubs 'n' Grub.

The best bet for a pre match drink is at Sumners. This is located on Tom Finney Way (Deepdale Road) and welcomes both home and away fans and also has parking around the back for a mere £3. Food is served here also and is supposed to be decent.The High Street in Preston’s town centre will cater for your taste buds as it holds all the usual shops that you would require if you fancy something other than the usual pie or burger in the ground.Beer is served in the ground. On my last visit they continued to serve until the 60-65th minute before closing up, so if the game is dire then there is an alternative entertainment option available.

Wright Rams Rangers' chances of winning.

For the third Tuesday night in succession we were treated to yet another QPR fixture, this time at home to Derby County. Derby have been in some good form recently so this would provide another stern test for an improving R’s side which is looking more organised and up for the challenge of pulling the team to safety and starting the rebuilding phase ahead of next season. Here’s how the night went.

Neil Warnock made four changes from Saturday’s draw with Swansea. Damion Stewart and Jay Simpson returned from suspension and injury respectively, also returning to the starting line up were Lee Cook and Rowan Vine. Dropping to the bench were Matt Hill, Hogan Ephraim, Akos Buzsaky and Tamas Priskin.

There was a slight change in personnel in the Lofty Heights gang tonight also. Jenson returned after missing out through work on Saturday, he took the place of Corp who missed out because of a migraine. California Hoop was still missing from the line up but we are hoping for him to return in time for Sheffield Wednesday and is likely to need a fitness test in the race to be ready for the game. Lofty, PK, Sam and I were present with Jenson as the game kicked off.

Rangers’ opened up the game with a 20 minute spell of football that was simply outstanding. The pass and move style was free flowing and created numerous opportunities.Firstly in rain soaked W12 it was Taarabt that was attacking and cut in before firing a shot in on goal that was heading for the bottom corner before it was blocked away for a corner.Minutes later Connolly burst into the Rams half and cut a reverse pass to Taarabt who in turn unleashed another low effort on goal and this time Bywater got down well to save from the Moroccan.Faurlin soon got in on the act when he tried his luck from 30 yards out and once again Bywater produced a very good stop to keep the scores even. Rangers’ really were into their stride and fifteen minutes in when Cook, Leigertwood and Vine combined with some slick passing it was Vine that had the opportunity to put an effort in once again but his shot was blocked and went out for a corner.How the scores were still level after 25 minutes I will never know but after all the high tempo passing and creating of chances it looked like Derby had weathered the Rangers’ storm that was much worse than the rain that was pouring down on them at Loftus Road. The visitors managed to slow the game down and frustrate the R’s and plugged the gaps in midfield that Rangers’ were exploiting. This lead to a final 20 minutes of the first half that wasn’t very exciting and the crowd’s noise dropped considerably during this time.Rangers’ were struck with a blow when Matt Connolly had to come off through injury, hopefully only a minor one, he was replaced by Matt Hill.Rangers’ did however manage to fashion two more chances before the break.Taarabt jinked in and out of the Derby defenders and managed to create half a yard just inside the left side of the penalty area and dragged an effort just wide of Bywater’s right hand post.There was time for one more break before the half time whistle. Taarabt got the ball just inside the Rangers’ half and drove into the Derby half before passing an inch perfect through ball to Lee Cook who was in space to the left of him. Cook took a touch or two before unleashing a drive into the bottom left hand corner of the goal and giving Rangers’ a deserved half time lead and probably made Warnock’s half time team talk a lot easier. Cook’s goal was very well taken, even PK couldn’t take anything away from the strike and had to endure having Lofty and Jenson singing “there’s only one Lee Cook” to him.

As the group gathered on the concourse for the half time chat it was agreed that we were simply superb and passed the ball around fantastically, it was probably the best passing football that we have put on display since October. There were no real worries about the second half ahead and we knew that if we kept on top of our game we’d be able to see the game out and maybe add another goal or two to our tally.

The rain in W12 progressively got worse for the second half and made conditions very hard for the players but it seemed as if Derby were enjoying it more as they came out to the second half and looked the better of the two sides.Ten minutes into the half and Derby were nearly gifted the opening goal. Michael Tonge sent in a cross from the Derby left and when Ikeme went to claim the ball he spilt it inside the six yard box but luckily for him Damion Stewart was on hand to clear the ball from safety.On the hour the first R’s sub was made. A tired looking Lee Cook came off and was replaced by Antonio German.Just seven minutes later Derby grabbed their equalising goal.A very soft and questionable free kick was awarded to Derby 30 yards from goal. The ball was played into the box and with Rangers’ failing to clear the lines it was Barker that took one touch to flick the ball over a Rangers’ defender and then lash home from 12 yards out.Following a series of contentious decisions by referee Wright the Rangers’ crowd woke up and started to get behind the team more and drive them on towards a second goal.Hogan Ephraim then entered the field of play for Jay Simpson.The R’s managed to go through the gears and managed to put Derby under a sustained amount of pressure for the final 15 minutes.Taarabt managed to drive at the Derby defence before unleashing an effort just wide.Rangers’ then broke away down the left and when Leigertwood found himself running across the face of the Derby defence just inside the penalty area just as he went to pass to Vine he was tripped but opted to stay on his feet and attempt to create the opening for Vine, which went just wide. After seeing it you can’t help but wonder if Leigertwood went to ground would a penalty of been awarded? I commend him for staying on his feet as we all hate to see players fall over for no reason but if you have to get the right decision then maybe it’s the thing to do. To be fair if he did fall over then you could pretty much put your house on referee Wright not giving the penalty, that’s just the way he was officiating tonight. With five minutes to go Rangers’ went on the break. Good play between German and Ephraim saw Vine being played in with a dinky ball over the top. As the ball dropped Vine decided to hit one on the volley from the edge of the box and his dipping effort smashed off the crossbar before being cleared to safety.Just as it looked as if the game was heading towards being honours even once again Rangers’ carved out a late charge. The charge came as Antonio German broke clear and raced towards the Derby 18 yard box. As German entered the penalty area he looked to have the beating of the Derby defender and has inadvertently pulled back for a certain penalty.......... but no! German had tried to stay on his feet to keep the attack going and wasn’t rewarded for being honest. Apparently the linesman, who had a brilliant view of the tug that 11,000 Rangers’ fans managed to spot, failed to spot the foul and denied the R’s of getting a winner that they deserved for their play. Once again you have to ask, should he of gone down because obviously staying on his feet didn’t help getting the obvious decision.

I’ve got to say that the opening to the game was fantastic and we really did look very impressive. If that’s a sign of things to come then we have an enjoyable end of season ahead of us and the future looks bright once Warnock imposes his style and manages to get his players in and he have less loanee influence on the team.It was a case of if only we managed to stay focussed throughout the game because for the opening 15-20 minutes of the second half we looked slightly complacent. Kaspers Gorkks wasn’t at the races for the second game on the spin and looked to be a yard off the pace, if it wasn’t for Damion Stewart on a few occasions then we could’ve been in a bit more trouble. Lee Cook, Adel Taarabt, Jay Simpson and Rowan Vine combined well as an attacking quartet in the first half but all three with the exception of Taarabt faded away in the second half. I must say I did feel for Taarabt as he was being kicked all over the place during the game and wasn’t given any protect by our referee for the night, it just seemed that anytime Taarabt was fouled he felt obliged to not award a free kick.

We move onto tonight’s Man of the Match. Lofty thought long and hard about this decision and despite there being some good displays out there by the Rangers’ players he has decided to not give the award to any of them but instead give it to referee Mr K K Wright for his short sighted display and failing to forget that there are two teams in a football match and also miss what were two very clear penalties. Mr K Wright I would arrange an appointment at Specsavers in the morning if I were you!

Sunday, March 21, 2010

Rangers' left feeling Jacked off

Paulo Sousa returned to Loftus Road almost a year after his release from the club with a Swansea side that look to be Play Off certainties despite their poor scoring record that includes just 16 goals in their 18 away fixtures. This contest had all the ingredients to be a possible snooze fest if the R’s attacking threat couldn’t get a stranglehold on the game. Let’s see how the events unfold.

Neil Warnock was forced into two changes for today’s fixture with Damion Stewart missing out through suspension after being sent off at Reading last Tuesday and Jay Simpson also missed out through injury picked up in training on Friday. Peter Ramage and Akos Buzsaky returned to the starting line up as Angelo Balanta, Joe Oastler and Lee Brown (no not me, even though I did get a bit of a cheer from the gang as my name was read out) took up the spare seats on the bench left by Ramage, Buzsaky and the recently departed Gary Borrowdale.

In the stands today along with myself were Lofty, PK, Corp, Sam and Justin. Unfortunately Jenson missed out through work commitments and California Hoop was also missing from the Upper Loft that was a lot busier than usual because of a ticket promotion that encouraged more fans to attend and fill up Loftus Road. A similar promotion is/has been run for Tuesday night’s game against Derby.

Within minutes of the start Rangers’ conjured up two chances. Firstly Adel Taarabt drilled a shot in from over 30 yards but was gratefully received by the arms of De Vries in the Swans goal. Quickly after it was Rangers’ on the attack again after Gorkss played a ball to Buzsaky and the Magical Magyar turned and volleyed from outside the box, the ball flashing just past the post and knocking over a water bottle or two just to the side of the Swansea goal.Five minutes later the R’s produced their third great chance in the opening ten minutes. Taarabt and his box of tricks attacked the right hand side and passed to Buzsaky who in turn crossed to fellow Hungarian Priskin and he dragged his shot wide when under pressure from Swans defender Alan Tate.Swansea then used a route one counter attack and came the closest to opening the scoring. A long ball was flicked on by Shefki Kuqi into the path of Nathan Dyer. The little wingers shot beat Carl Ikeme and bounced off the inside of the post and stayed out before Matt Hill cleared the lines.Despite being the more attacking side in the game the R’s were once again on the back foot after another Swansea counter attack. Another long ball over the top caught out the R’s defence and it was Dyer again with the golden opportunity to score and just as he was about to pull the trigger Matt Hill caught up with him and flicked the ball away from Dyer but looked as if it was dangerously going in the R’s goal but luckily Ikeme was in the way as the ball flicked off his shoulder and very fortuitously bounce just wide of the post.Rangers’ thought they had got the opening goal of the game shortly after. A corner from the left hand side was cleared as far as Gorkss on the edge of the box. His shot got deflected into the path of Taarabt and he slotted the ball away but the linesman had quickly raised his flag and disappointed the R’s crowd that had half heartedly started celebrating.Swansea once again created a fantastic chance just before the break. Swansea broke clear with three attackers with just Matt Connolly and Carl Ikeme guarding the R’s goal. Bauza opted to shoot when he could’ve laid the ball off and created an even easier chance for one of his fellow team mates and Carl Ikeme gladly smothered the ball from the Spaniards weak shot.

At half time it’s fair to say we could’ve very easily been three down because of some poor defending of Swansea’s counter attacking. Rangers looked to attack the game a lot more out of the two teams but because Swansea had at least nine men behind the ball it made breaking them down difficult. Because of this the entertainment value wasn’t great at all but in all fairness this was expected and a 0-0 or 1-0 score line was predicted by many of the gang before the game.

The second half saw Swansea start the better of the two teams and fashioned two chances from two separate free kicks and both were saved fairly easily by Ikeme.On 57 minutes the deadlock was broken and when there was seemingly no danger. Bauza played a ball over the top and looked to be over hit and going straight to Ikeme but with Hill running and not facing the ball he misjudged ducking the ball and it hit the back of his head and fallen into the path of Nathan Dyer and he easily tucked the ball home into Ikeme’s bottom right hand corner.Immediately after the goal a double substitution was made, it was lined up before the goal, with Antonio German and Lee Cook coming on for the Hungarian duo of Buzsaky and Priskin. Priskin’s substitution was greeted by cheers from the R’s faithful after failing to put in any impressive performances in a Rangers’ shirt, it was nice to see German get more time on the pitch after looking impressive whenever he’s played.The double change gave the R’s fresh impetus and attacked the game with more venom and looked a lot more threatening when going forward.Swansea started their time wasting tactics at around the 65 minute mark and looked to take their time at every throw in, goal kick, free kick, any time they could and you can really see why they are the lowest scoring team in the division.Rangers’ attacked and when Lee Cook took a free kick from the right hand side and Matt Connolly rose highest and his header beat De Vries but dropped just wide of the left hand side of the post, this was the start of the R’s cranking up the pressure on the visitors.Hogan Ephraim then made way as Rowan Vine replaced him.Three minutes after the substitution Rangers’ finally got their reward.Alan Tate had a routine header back to his goalkeeper but mistimed it and conceded a corner. From Taarabt’s corner deep corner, which De Vries flapped at, Vine played the ball back across goal into the path of German and at the second attempt the R’s youngster stabbed home from close range.Rangers’ continued to press and were the recipients of some poor refereeing decisions which saw Swansea awarded a series of soft free kicks and some very questionable offside decisions.Five minutes before the end Rangers’ thought they had grabbed the winner.Taarabt’s free kick from just outside the box was blocked by the wall and fell in the path Matt Connolly and he smashed the ball home from close range to send sets of R’s fans into celebration as some spotted the linesman’s flag straight away. I’d like to see it again because it was a very close call at the time. Deep into injury time Rangers’ seemed to of had a clear breakaway and have the perfect opportunity to get a winner. Rowan Vine was tripped and advantage was allowed until Vine broke into the clear and it was at that point that referee Boyeson pulled play back to the original foul in what was a ludicrous decision and kill off any chance of us getting a winner.

In summary it’s fair to say we got out of jail in the opening 45 minutes when Swansea were left to rue their missed opportunities but Rangers’ were always the most positive of the two teams and the turning point for us came when German and Cook came on. German put in so much more effort up front than Priskin and chased down defenders and just looked hungry. On the performances of both Cook and German in the half hour they had to impress they have to be in the starting eleven on Tuesday night, even PK said that Cook should start and this came as a such a shock to us that I’m surprised none of us fainted.

The final task of the day is our Man of the Match award. With Lofty back in the stands with us he has resumed his duties as choosing our winner. Antonio German and Lee Cook’s efforts have been looked at as the turning point in the game from us but it was a player that was on the field for the whole 90 minutes that impressed once again. A star really has been unearthed this season and has to be one of the contenders for this seasons Player of the Year. He bossed the midfield once again and just continues to chase, hassle and work his socks off every game and because of this we once again name Alejandro Faurlin as the man of the match.

Thursday, March 18, 2010

Borrowdale joins Charlton.

This morning it was announced thatGary Borrowdale has joined Charlton on a month's loan.

The left back who joined the R's in November 2008 from Coventry initially on loan before making the deal permanent in January 2009. After two months on the fringes of the first team it was decided that a loan period at Brighton would be beneficial for the player and he stayed there until the end of the season, making 12 appearances for the Seagulls.Borrowdale made his first start in the Rangers' first team at the beginning of this season against Blackpool and went on to make 22 league and cup starts and 4 more sub appearances.

Borrowdale has been out of favour with the past two managerial regimes and spent most of his time warming up the bench.

I hope you join us here at Lofty Heights in wishing Gary at enjoyable stay at The Valley.

Wednesday, March 17, 2010

Unlucky Rangers' pay a cruel penalty.

This Tuesday night saw Neil Warnock take his unbeaten start as Rangers' manager to Berkshire against a Reading side that had won seven of their last eight matches. The Lofty Heights crew took to the road in what was a local fixture for many of us and in hope of some bragging rights over some of our friends and work colleagues on Wednesday morning. Here's how the events unfolded.

Before setting off on the short 15 minute journey to the Madejeski Stadium me and Sam welcomed Justin, Nik and Luke to the house and relaxed in front of an 'enthralling' episode of Deal or No Deal and gathered our thoughts on the game ahead of us. The general consensus in the group that we would probably get something from the game and that a 0-0 or 1-0 score line would probably greet us at the end. We set off for the trip and were soon parked up ready for the big occasion, all we needed to do now was to meet Jenson and collect out tickets off him and we were in business, unfortunately he was stuck on the M4 so the five of us had plenty of time to kill and ended up doing a lap of the outside of a characterless stadium and then ending up going down to McDonalds to grab a bite to eat and wait for Jenson there.Jenson soon turned up and we made our way into the ground to enjoy a drink and warm up the vocal chords ready for kick off. It was during this time that we found out that Lofty unfortunately couldn't make today's game because his work had for the day had gone on longer than he'd like and was unable to make the game in time. I then bumped into local Rangers' fans Tony and Alan and enjoyed a chat about the new regime and caught up on the social side of things before making our way to our seats.... right at the back of the stand! After climbing what seemed like a mini everest, and slightly out of breath, it was time to get ready and make some noise.

Neil Warnock named an unchanged side for the fourth game in a row. Once again the only change came on the bench with Angelo Balanta making way for Antonio German.

Over 2,000 Rangers' fans made the short trip to the Madejeski Stadium and amongst the R's support was New Chairman Ishlan Saksena to take in a Rangers' end that at times was superb and really got behind the team to drive them on.In fairness it was the Royals that were slightly the better team to begin with and fashioned the first chance of the game. Kaspers Gorkss gave away a foul about 25 yards from goal and Brian Howard stepped up to take the free kick which flew just wide and hit the back stanchion. A few of the Reading fans to our right got excited but soon realised that the effort had gone wide. This started up some of the banter and for the next 10-15 minutes or so the atmosphere in the ground was pretty decent.Rangers’ slowly began to take more control of the game and began to find small openings in the Royals defence and when Priskin cut a ball back to Taarabt to shot on sight of goal and sting the hands of Federici in the Reading goal. This gave the R’s a bit more belief as we pressed on.Soon after that chance followed a fantastic opportunity to get the opener. Taarabt’s cross found Priskin and his effort was blocked and eventually went out for a corner. From that corner, which was taken by Taarabt and played deep to the back post, it was Gorkss that met the ball and headed back into the path of Priskin but his shot was sent high and wide of goal. A brilliant opportunity that went begging.Rangers’ were easily the most threatening team in the game and soon had yet another chance to grab an opener. It was that man Taarabt again that slipped in Jay Simpson and running clear of the Royals defence. Simpson took aim but could only fire straight at Federici from about 12 yards out.On the half hour mark Damion Stewart picked up what was a harsh yellow card when he was judged to of had a high foot in when challenging Shane Long, even though the mini striker was stooping down to head a ball.That yellow card came to haunt Stewart on the stroke of half time when he stupidly cut off Federici when he attempted to clear quickly from a Rangers’ corner. Referee Ward, who was having an indifferent game up till this point and had been barracked by both sets of fans, had no choice but to produce a second yellow and leave Rangers’ to play the rest of the game with 10 men.Mikele Leigertwood moved to right back, with Matt Connolly filling Stewarts void in centre defence. Hogan Ephraim moved from the left wing into centre midfield and then Taarabt moved to wide left, leaving Jay Simpson up front on his own.

The half time whistle was soon blown and a trip down the stairs to see if we could get a drink was the order of the day. After making our way downstairs and onto a jam packed concourse we decided it really wasn’t worth the wait so turned back around to stand out on near level ground. Having spotted Gobi, on my way back to my seat up in the skies, we discussed the half and both agreed that we had nothing to fear and didn’t think much to Reading as an attacking force. The game was there for the taking and provided we didn’t risk too much we could turn a definite one point into three, well that was us being optimistic after seeing the first half. After reaching the peak of the climb and nearly having my legs fall off at the summit, it was time for the second half.

Reading started the second half the brighter of the teams, as you would expect from a team with a man advantage, and were soon creating chances. Jimmy Kebe shot straight at Ikeme before Shane Long tried an effort from the left hand side that went wide of the R’s goal.Rangers’ still looked for the break and a Taarabt corner was only cleared to Hogan Ephraim on the edge of the box. His shot was seemingly easy to deal with from where we were sat and Federici fumbled the ball in the path of the onrushing Simpson and he blasted over from an acute angle.In fairness the Rangers’ cause wasn’t being helped by tonight’s official either. Some of the decisions being made during the second half definitely didn’t help us and somehow failed to stop play for clear fouls on R’s players which further frustrated the players and fans alike.As the half got older it was obvious that the legs of the ten men were beginning to tire and it looked as if Simpson and Priskin were on their last legs, especially the latter. With 25 minutes remaining we thought a change was the obvious tonic but this didn’t come and with every minute that passed it seemed that Rangers’ were dropping deeper and deeper and inviting the Royals to attack them a little too much. As a result there were a few nail biting moments for the Rangers’ fans as Matt Hill cleared off the line after Sigurdsson’s effort had beaten everyone and looked destined for the back of the net. Soon after and there was another goal line clearance, this time from Kaspers Gorkss after Bertrand let rip after the ball was cut back to him.The pressure soon told and on 85 minutes Reading were given a penalty. Matt Hill, who was probably having his best game in a hooped shirt, was judged to of tripped Sigurdsson for which looked to be a soft penalty. Usually you can tell by the reaction of the players if it’s a penalty or not and the R’s players surrounded referee Ward and as a result received two bookings for their efforts.Sigurdsson picked himself up and hit his penalty hard to Carl Ikeme’s right and despite diving the right way the on loan Wolves man couldn’t keep it out and we were 1-0 down.Despite bringing on Antonio German for the tired (and useless) Priskin and putting in more effort over the five minutes he had than the Hungarian did over 87, it just wasn’t meant to be and the final whistle was blown. A 1-0 defeat and it honestly felt like we had been robbed.

In reflection of the game I feel that we were more than deserving of a point and showed a lot of heart in our performance. I can’t quite understand why Priskin is starting games at the moment because the work rate being put in, in my eyes and many other eyes if I’m honest, just isn’t good enough. We have Akos Buzsaky and Lee Cook on the bench that could play where he is and play for the shirt with a lot more heart. Alternatively there are two kids in Antonio German and Angelo Balanta that are worthy of a chance ahead of a dozy donkey like Priskin. That’s just my opinion though. As mentioned before the players did look knackered in the second half and it’s hardly surprising seeing as this is their fourth game in ten days. The fight and passion was there for all to see, with the above exception, and if I’m honest a 0-0 result would’ve been a fantastic result for us given that we played just over a half with ten men.

We now move onto tonight’s Man of the Match. This was voted on between us on the way back to the car and we had two names that dominated the voting. Adel Taarabt, who was pulling the strings for periods of the game but the winner of tonight’s award for yet another battling performance and showing a never say die attitude, the award goes to a future star, Alejandro Faurlin.

Monday, March 15, 2010

R's on the Road........... To Reading

Hot on the heels of Saturday's draw at Sheffield United comes another tricky away trip, this time at Reading. The Royals have hit some form recently and have won their two home games in the last week against Derby and Bristol City, so this is by no means an easy game.Here’s all you need to know before your trip to Berkshire.

The Stadium.

Current Capacity – 24,200

Reading were formed in 1871 and were nicknamed The Biscuitmen after the town’s main trades Huntley and Palmers biscuits. Following the factory being shut down in the 1970’s the club changed its nickname to The Royals, due to their location in the Royal County of Berkshire.Reading started off playing at Reading Recreation Ground until 1878, before moving on to Reading Cricket Ground (1878–1882), Coley Park (1882–1889) and Caversham Cricket Ground (1889–1896).In September 1896 the club moved to the purpose built Elm Park and were at home there for 102 years. During this time the club finally gained Football League status after being elected to join in 1920.Reading won their first trophy in 1988 when they defeated Luton Town in the Simod Cup, also known as the Full Members Cup and the Zenith Data Systems Cup. The Cup was formed after the Heysel Stadium disaster because English clubs were banned from European Competition and gave clubs in the top two tiers of English Football another trophy to compete for, however after the formulation of the Premier League the Cup became defunct after just seven years.The Royals moved from Elm Park to the Madejeski Stadium, named after Chairman John Madejeski. The Madejeski Stadium is on the very outskirts of the town and is right next to the M4 motorway allowing an easy get away for some of the travelling fans.Following promotion from League One in the 2002/03 season it then took the Royals another three seasons to secure their first ever promotion to the top tier of English Football. After a successful first season the club failed to retain their status and were relegated during their second season in the Premier League.Further plans to increase the capacity were approved during the clubs time in the Premiership. These plans included extending three sides of the stadium (North, South and East) and replacing the roof, this would take three years to complete. However due to the clubs relegation to the Championship the planned start and completion dates have yet to be confirmed and remain a mystery.Away fans will take their place in the South Stand (Fosters Lager Stand) and an initial 2,100 ticket allocation has been given to the club. Allocations can be increased to 4,300 when it’s needed or requested. The facilities inside are decent, the legroom is more than adequate and better than you would get at other grounds. Unfortunately the stadium is one of those modern bowl shaped models and the atmosphere can suffer because of this. There is no wow factor when you get to the ground and when you get to the away gates you are often greeted to security staff who are often over the top and really set the tone for your visit. I have read reviews from other fans of clubs and they have also complained about their behaviour and have also reported that some fans have been refused entry because in the security’s opinion some people have been deemed ‘too drunk’. It’s not one of the best days/nights out to football but once you get past the front doors just enjoy yourself and make some noise!

The History between the teams.

At Reading (38)

Reading 25QPR 6Draw 7

Rangers’ last victory on the road against Reading came in September 1997, it was also the last R’s victory in the fixture before the 4-1 victory earlier this season, in a 2-1 victory.Lee Hodges got the Royals off to the perfect start with a goal in the opening 10 minutes after Carl Asaba’s shot had rebounded off the crossbar to give Hodges an easy chance to net his first goal in Royals colours. The 1-0 score line remained the same going into half time. With the Royals seemingly in control on 74 minutes the R’s grabbed an equalizer. A cross from the right hand side found the smallest player on the pitch, John Spencer and the micro striker grabbed the leveller. Just 60 seconds later it was 2-1!! A cross from the left hand side was diverted towards goal, by Spencer again I think (correct me if I’m wrong) with the shot seemingly going wide it suddenly hits Steve Swailes and flies into the bottom corner, sending the travelling support into raptures. Right at the end Rangers’ would’ve made it 3-1 if it wasn’t for a great save by Royals ‘keeper Mautone.

How to get there.

By Car:- The postcode for the Madejeski Stadium is RG2 0FLLeave the M4 at junction 11 and follow the A33 in the direction of Reading, the ground is just a short distance from here.As for parking it can prove pretty tricky and/or expensive. There are a few places to park down Imperial Way (just off the roundabout before the stadium) you can also try Acre Road industrial park as well, but do be careful because if you are not paying to park there you could easily find yourself parking on private property and getting back to your car with a parking ticket for your troubles.

By Train:- The stadium is nowhere near being within walking distance so the best bet is to jump on the special football bus to the ground. The bus is the number 79 and runs every 7-10 minutes, or so I’m lead to believe.

Pubs 'n' Grub.

There are no pubs near the stadium. If travelling by train I would recommend The Three Guineas pub, this is traditionally an away fans pub and is right outside the train station as you walk out of it on your right hand side, it is also outside the bus station so it’s ideal. Closer to the ground is the Holiday Inn hotel just off Imperial Way and is a 10-15 minute walk from the ground.The town centre offers the usual retail outlets for you to eat at, alternatively there is a retail park right outside the stadium with McDonalds, KFC and Pizza Hut on offer to you there.

Alcohol is on offer in the ground at £3 for a pint of Fosters or Courage Bitter.All pies and pasties cost £2.60 and rollover hotdogs are £3 each.

Saturday, March 13, 2010

Blades blunt Rangers sharp start under Warnock.

Neil Warnock took his unbeaten run as Rangers’ manager to boyhood idols Sheffield United, who haven’t lost in their last 11 games at Bramall Lane. Will the run continue?? All will be revealed over the course of the afternoon.

No Lofty Heights representation was present at the game today due to a number of reasons, work being the main cause, so I am once again writing this at home (for only the fourth time this season) as the game is being played. I’m pleased to say that the group will once again be back on the road for the short trip to Reading on Tuesday night, so hopefully I’ll have a few stories to tell there.

Neil Warnock named an unchanged side for the third game on the spin. Once again there was just one change on the bench, Angelo Balanta returning with Antonio German dropping out.

In the opening minutes Rangers’ won a corner on the far side, in the sunshine. Unfortunately Faurlin’s corner went to the back post and was cleared to safety. Rangers’ were enjoying a nice little spell of possession and soon won yet another corner. Faurlin’s centre was momentarily cleared but once the ball was swung back in the box Jay Simpson looked destined to at least put an effort on target but unfortunately the ball was just taken off his foot and put out for a throw in.Once again Rangers’ broke away and Priskin beat the offside trip but his first time shot was saved by Sheffield United ‘keeper Bunn.Rangers’ really were on top in the opening ten minutes but the next chance fell to Sheffield United. Yeates beat the offside trap, much to the disgust of the Rangers’ back line, and his ball across goal was met by Henri Camara but the former Wigan hitman failed to hit the target.Sheffield United slowly came back into the game over the next 5-10 minutes but it was Rangers’ who conjured the closest effort to date on 20 minutes when Jay Simpson’s cross eluded everyone and hit the post before being cleared to safety.I must say the commentator for this game wasn’t exactly being very informative and on a number of occasions he couldn’t even recognise who was who, making his dialect pretty vague and definitely isn’t helping me whilst I’m writing this now. Mind you it must be said, despite his vagueness, it was still better than listening to Jim Beglin’s woeful attempts to be a co-commentator on ITV.I must admit the next 25 minutes went by with me in a daydream and I only caught glimpses but just on the stroke of half time we had something to get excited about. After passes between Faurlin, Taarabt and Ephraim, it was the latter that had a great chance to score when he was one on one with ‘keeper Bunn but he slid the bal comfortably into the arms of the Sheffield United custodian.Then disaster struck. Sheffield United won a corner on the stroke of half time. The corner was cleared to Mark Yeates out on the far side and his centre was found by Richard Cresswell, who has scored against us on each occasion the teams have played this season, his header found the back of the net. Terrible defending by the R’s!!Rangers’ looked to strike back and won a number of corners before the interval but couldn’t make the most of them and it was Sheffield United, who despite being pretty much out played by Rangers’, that went in with a one goal margin.

The half time interval gave me the chance to sit back and enjoy a late lunch and also try to get opinions of R’s fans that had made the trip and managed to get hold of Michael Whelan who said “Thought we had a good first half but still can’t put the ball away. For the United goal Hogan should have stopped the cross plus there was bad marking. Simpson and Hogan should’ve scored for us with easy chances.”Before I knew it our commentator was back online and we are back in business.

Five minutes into the game we had our second goal of the game.Taarabt dispossessed Marcel Seip in the Sheffield United defence and took the ball on before calmly slotting the ball past Bunn and levelling the game, deservedly too!That goal seemed to wake up the Moroccan and his box of tricks were soon to be bought on show and he regularly got fouled throughout the half from here.The game was fiercely contested for the next 15-20 minutes as Rangers’ continued to sound like they were the better side. The commentator’s fascination with the substitutes warming up continued, we were told about them four times during the first half, and for the second time in the half we were told about them during the second period.A substitution then came and I quote “not for QPR but for Sheffield Wednesday” I’m sure that would’ve pleased the Blades supporters! Darius Henderson came on for James Harper.This gave The Blades a big target to aim for which would help compliment their direct style and Henderson’s presence was soon to be felt from the following set piece but Carl Ikeme claimed the ball from the corner.The first Rangers’ substitution came on 85 minutes. Adel Taarabt made way as Akos Buzsaky took his place.Just after the sub it was United that broke away. Richard Cresswell attacked the left hand side and put in a delightful ball for Henderson but somehow the big striker failed to find the back of net when it seemed harder to miss the target.A second R’s sub came just as 3 minutes added time was shown. Lee Cook came on for Hogan Ephraim.The final whistle was blown and for the third time this season the final result was 1-1.

Once again as the game finished I managed to catch up with Michael and Gobi who were at the game and they gave the following opinions. Michael said "Another good team performance in Warnock's first away game with the same team thats played the last three games. First half was a little scrappy with QPR shading it. Before they scored Hogan missed a very easy chance when he shot straight at Bunn. Second half was dominated by QPR and deserved the goal when Taarabt cooly shot past the impressive United 'keeper who kept them in the game. No gripes about any player except maybe Priskin, who still hasn't impressed since joining us. I would've been happy with a point before the game but feel we missed out on the chance of three."Gobi said "I thought the result was a fair fair one. First half was pretty poor from both sides but Rangers' improved a lot in the second half and could've snatched the win. We were well worth the point that we gained." I must admit thats that short version from our phone call but Gobi did reserve praise for most of the team with the except of Matt Hill and Priskin.

Todays Man of the Match has been selected by Michael and Gobi. After close analysis by the two the final vote has been split and is shared between Alejandro Faurlin and Adel Taarabt.

Thursday, March 11, 2010

R's on The Road.......... To Sheffield United and Reading.

This Saturday Neil Warnock takes charge of Rangers against another of his former clubs and boyhood idols, Sheffield United. After winning the first two games of his reign can he make it three out of three against a Blades side that have lost their last two games against relegation threatened Crystal Palace and Peterborough.Here’s all the detail of all you need to know upon your trip to South Yorkshire.

The Stadium.

Current Capacity – 32,702.

Sheffield United were formed in 1889 as a Football and Bandy club at the Adelphi Hotel, which is now the site of snooker’s famous Crucible Theatre, by the President of the Cricket Club Sir Charles Clegg, as a way of keeping the Sheffield United Cricket Club together during the winter close season, following the departure of Sheffield Wednesday to their new ground at Olive Grove and generating income revenues from Bramall Lane over the winter. Clegg was also the President of Sheffield Wednesday FC. As football became more popular the football team supplanted the cricket team, such that in 1975 cricket was no longer played at Bramall Lane.Bramall Lane is the oldest major ground in the world having hosted it’s first game in 1862 between Hallam and Sheffield. Bramall Lane also hosted the world’s first ever floodlit game on 14th October 1878. The lights were powered by two separate generators.In recent times Bramall Lane has seen improvements to the ground and after completion in 2006 the capacity had risen to 32,702.Further improvements have been earmarked for the future with 3,000 seated being added to the back of The Kop Stand and the pillars being removed and a new roof having a giant screen as part of the roof (similar to the one at White Hart Lane). The second phase would see the Valad Stand (formerly the Arnold Laver Stand) also being extended and upon completion of both stands the capacity would increase to 40,000. These plans were part of the clubs bid to become one of the stadiums for England’s 2018/2022 World Cup bid, but having lost out to bitter rivals Sheffield Wedsnesday these plans have been put on hold until the club is able to regain and maintain Premier League status.The R’s faithful will be housed in the lower tier of the Halliwells Stand, with up to 3,000 away fans being able to take their place here. The facilities are fairly decent, the concourses provide a narrow but long stretch of space for you to enjoy a pre match beverage with your friends.

The History between the teams.

At Sheffield United (23)

Sheffield United 7QPR 4Draw 12

The last time the R’s were victorious in this fixture, home and away, was at Bramall Lane in February 2006 in what was a thrilling encounter.Marc Nygaard gave Rangers a 6 minute lead before Ade Akinbiyi levelled on 22 and Marc Bircham’s own goal seven minutes later gave United a 2-1 lead at half time. Shortly after the restart The Blades were awarded a penalty after Ian Evatt upended Chris Morgan. Paul Ifill’s poor penalty was saved by Paul Jones in the R’s goal and soon the impetus shifted in Rangers favour. The own goal tallies were even when Chris Morgan headed into his own net on 56 minutes and levelled the game, making the final half hour an interesting contest. The winner came on 74 minutes when Lee Cook delivered a diagonal ball into the path of Paul Furlong and the Rangers striker hit the back of the net. Rangers could’ve increased their lead minutes later when Lee Cook’s shot was too hot for Paddy Kenny to handle and the ball dropped to Furlong, with all the goal to aim at Furlong crashed his effort off the bar. After a tense finale Rangers managed to hang on to their first League success at Bramall Lane since 1993.

How to get there.

By Car:- The postcode for Bramall Lane is S2 4SUI have found that the easiest way to get to Bramall Lane is to leave the M1 at junction 29 and follow the A617 into Chesterfield. As you enter Chesterfield you’ll come to a big roundabout, take the 4th exit onto the A61, by doing this you will also drive by Chesterfield’s new ground which is currently under construction. After ten miles on the A61 you’ll reach the bottom of the London Road, look for the A621 which is a left turn and this will bring you onto Bramall Lane.It’s all street parking around this area so I would advise an early arrival if possible, if not then it’s just pot luck.

By Train:- The ground is a 10-15 minute walk from Sheffield’s mainline train station. As you come out of the station, walk left along the main road. Where the road splits take the right fork which is Shoreham Street and continue down this road to the ground.

Pubs 'n' Grub.

Pubs which have been recommended for the visit to Sheffield include The Earl (Queens Road, 10 minute walk), Norfolk Arms (City Centre), The Globe (by the train station, 15 minute walk). The pubs near the ground like Sheaf House, Railway Hotel, The Golden Lion, The Railway and Cricketers are for home fans only.Alternatively there is alcohol served inside the ground.

The City Centre offers all the usual eating outlets that you would expect of. I am unaware of any eatery’s close to the ground (any help is grateful here).

Hot on the heels of Rangers’ game at Bramall Lane on Saturday comes another away trip, this time s short trip down the M4 to a Reading side that have been rejuvenated since the turn of the year and had an impressive run in the FA Cup before being dumped out by Aston Villa, having held a 2-0 lead at half time. The Royals enjoyed 4-1 win over Derby in midweek and have a home fixture against Bristol City this weekend before what looks to be a tasty fixture against the R’s on Tuesday night.Here’s all you need to know before your trip to Berkshire.

The Stadium.

Current Capacity – 24,200

Reading were formed in 1871 and were nicknamed The Biscuitmen after the town’s main trades Huntley and Palmers biscuits. Following the factory being shut down in the 1970’s the club changed its nickname to The Royals, due to their location in the Royal County of Berkshire.Reading started off playing at Reading Recreation Ground until 1878, before moving on to Reading Cricket Ground (1878–1882), Coley Park (1882–1889) and Caversham Cricket Ground (1889–1896).In September 1896 the club moved to the purpose built Elm Park and were at home there for 102 years. During this time the club finally gained Football League status after being elected to join in 1920.Reading won their first trophy in 1988 when they defeated Luton Town in the Simod Cup, also known as the Full Members Cup and the Zenith Data Systems Cup. The Cup was formed after the Heysel Stadium disaster because English clubs were banned from European Competition and gave clubs in the top two tiers of English Football another trophy to compete for, however after the formulation of the Premier League the Cup became defunct after just seven years.The Royals moved from Elm Park to the Madejeski Stadium, named after Chairman John Madejeski. The Madejeski Stadium is on the very outskirts of the town and is right next to the M4 motorway allowing an easy get away for some of the travelling fans.Following promotion from League One in the 2002/03 season it then took the Royals another three seasons to secure their first ever promotion to the top tier of English Football. After a successful first season the club failed to retain their status and were relegated during their second season in the Premier League.Further plans to increase the capacity were approved during the clubs time in the Premiership. These plans included extending three sides of the stadium (North, South and East) and replacing the roof, this would take three years to complete. However due to the clubs relegation to the Championship the planned start and completion dates have yet to be confirmed and remain a mystery.Away fans will take their place in the South Stand (Fosters Lager Stand) and an initial 2,100 ticket allocation has been given to the club. Allocations can be increased to 4,300 when it’s needed or requested. The facilities inside are decent, the legroom is more than adequate and better than you would get at other grounds. Unfortunately the stadium is one of those modern bowl shaped models and the atmosphere can suffer because of this. There is no wow factor when you get to the ground and when you get to the away gates you are often greeted to security staff who are often over the top and really set the tone for your visit. I have read reviews from other fans of clubs and they have also complained about their behaviour and have also reported that some fans have been refused entry because in the security’s opinion some people have been deemed ‘too drunk’. It’s not one of the best days/nights out to football but once you get past the front doors just enjoy yourself and make some noise!

The History between the teams.

At Reading (38)

Reading 25QPR 6Draw 7

Rangers’ last victory on the road against Reading came in September 1997, it was also the last R’s victory in the fixture before the 4-1 victory earlier this season, in a 2-1 victory.Lee Hodges got the Royals off to the perfect start with a goal in the opening 10 minutes after Carl Asaba’s shot had rebounded off the crossbar to give Hodges an easy chance to net his first goal in Royals colours. The 1-0 score line remained the same going into half time. With the Royals seemingly in control on 74 minutes the R’s grabbed an equalizer. A cross from the right hand side found the smallest player on the pitch, John Spencer and the micro striker grabbed the leveller. Just 60 seconds later it was 2-1!! A cross from the left hand side was diverted towards goal, by Spencer again I think (correct me if I’m wrong) with the shot seemingly going wide it suddenly hits Steve Swailes and flies into the bottom corner, sending the travelling support into raptures. Right at the end Rangers’ would’ve made it 3-1 if it wasn’t for a great save by Royals ‘keeper Mautone.

How to get there.

By Car:- The postcode for the Madejeski Stadium is RG2 0FLLeave the M4 at junction 11 and follow the A33 in the direction of Reading, the ground is just a short distance from here.As for parking it can prove pretty tricky and/or expensive. There are a few places to park down Imperial Way (just off the roundabout before the stadium) you can also try Acre Road industrial park as well, but do be careful because if you are not paying to park there you could easily find yourself parking on private property and getting back to your car with a parking ticket for your troubles.

By Train:- The stadium is nowhere near being within walking distance so the best bet is to jump on the special football bus to the ground. The bus is the number 79 and runs every 7-10 minutes, or so I’m lead to believe.

Pubs 'n' Grub.

There are no pubs near the stadium. If travelling by train I would recommend The Three Guineas pub, this is traditionally an away fans pub and is right outside the train station as you walk out of it on your right hand side, it is also outside the bus station so it’s ideal. Closer to the ground is the Holiday Inn hotel just off Imperial Way and is a 10-15 minute walk from the ground.The town centre offers the usual retail outlets for you to eat at, alternatively there is a retail park right outside the stadium with McDonalds, KFC and Pizza Hut on offer to you there.

Alcohol is on offer in the ground at £3 for a pint of Fosters or Courage Bitter.All pies and pasties cost £2.60 and rollover hotdogs are £3 each.

Wednesday, March 10, 2010

Thats a long ol' poke....

Hot on the heels of Saturday’s fantastic win over West Brom was a tricky looking fixture against relegation threatened Plymouth Argyle and their Green Army. A win would give Rangers a six point cushion in the relegation battle and still with a game in hand.

The gang were only missing Lofty tonight due to his birthday celebrations at home with the family. With the temperatures pretty cold there was no pre match beer in the Springbok, we instead took ourselves to the Blue and White for a swift half and also met up with Michael, Nik, Luke, Stedders and Jack. The sprits were high and three points were expected even though we all anticipated a tough encounter. The confidence was so high that most of us actually bet on a QPR win in our accumulators.

Neil Warnock made no changes to the starting line up following the great performance on Saturday. The one change came on the bench, Angelo Balanta dropping out and Lee Cook coming in having recovered from a virus.

If the truth be told, the opening 35 minutes were not the most thrilling we have ever seen but the R’s were dominant throughout and struggled at times to break down Plymouth at the back.There were chances created and some of the counter attacking football on display was fantastic but this only came in flashes.Right at the start of the game some good passing football between Faurlin, Taarabt and Simpson resulted in Priskin having the opportunity to test Plymouth ‘keeper Stockdale but unfortunately he couldn’t quite get his shot in on goal.Rangers’ best attacking move came on 18 minutes. Connolly collected the ball just outside the R’s 18 yard box and he passed to Taarabt who advanced a little before spotting Simpson charging towards goal and played a sublime 35-40 yard inch perfect ball to the R’s top goalscorer and he shot just wide whilst being under pressure from a Plymouth defender. The move took all of 10-15seconds but the accuracy of that through ball was simply brilliant.Another free flowing passing move between Ephraim, Faurlin, Leigertwood and Connolly saw Connolly in space just outside the Plymouth 18 yard box and he decided to have a pop, unfortunately the effort went high and wide.Adel Taarabt then decided that he wanted to take centre stage and went to take on three defenders, beat them, then go back and beat them for a second time with the aid of a few step-over’s and then once he finished beating them again he took aim at goal but once again the shot was off target.However on 36 minutes Rangers’ had their first shot on target.Taarabt and Connolly combined down the right hand side and Connolly’s teasing cross went in the direction of Priskin, who had his back to goal, a Plymouth defender tugged Priskin back and the Hungarian fell to the floor, leaving Referee Tierney with no option but to point to the spot.Taarabt grabbed the ball, placed it on the spot and kept his cool to calmly slot away the penalty and give Rangers’ the lead.The confidence levels flew through the roof after the opening goal and the R’s went on a mission to add a second before the interval.The best chance fell to Stewart after a Faurlin free kick was flicked on by Connolly and Stewart somehow failed to hit the target when it looked easier to score.

The half time gathering bought together a happy bunch of Rangers’ supporters. The general consensus within everyone was that Rangers’ were in control and that Plymouth didn’t really being much to trouble us, it was just a case that we had to maintain our concentration at the back and just turn the screw to make the game safe. Jenson even said what everyone else did not dare to say.... “This could be our first clean sheet in 21 games if this carries on”.... we all just hoped he didn’t just jinx us! There was only one way to find out, so we got back to our seats and with a few minutes to spare as well.

Rangers’ came out in the second half and continued to look comfortable. In fact within five minutes of the restart the second goal came.Taarabt was fouled just outside the left of the Plymouth penalty area. The Moroccan picked himself up and took the free kick himself. The ball in the box was so inviting that Damion Stewart timed his run to perfection, beating Stockdale to the ball and nodding home from close range.The R’s didn’t want to stop there and Faurlin nearly added a third when Taarabt’s cross fell to him just outside the area and the shot ,like many others tonight, wasn’t on target.Rangers’ did find the back of the net once again, Jay Simpson sliding to reach the ball before Stockdale after a fantastic ball over the top, the goal didn’t count though because of an offside flag.Moments later Simpson had a great chance to get his name on the score sheet.Leigertwood beat three Plymouth defenders down the R’s right hand side and drilled a cross in along the six yard box and Simpson was advancing on goal so quickly that he had no time to get a proper contact on the ball and instead the ball ended up just hitting him and guess what...... the ball went wide of goal once more.On 70 minutes Taarabt exited the field of play and was given a rousing reception by the R’s faithful after a brilliant performance. Akos Buzsaky replaced him.Lee Cook then came on for a cameo appearance after missing out on Saturday with a virus, Hogan Ephraim came off.Rangers’ had one more glorious opportunity to add to their comfortable lead. Jay Simpson chased down a ball over the top and his pressure caused a mix up between Plymouth ‘keeper Stockdale and one of his defenders which resulted in them colliding and leaving Simpson wide on the right with an open goal to shoot at. After advancing a few paces a Plymouth defender or two had got back to narrow the angle, Simpson’s shot dribbled wide but if he had looked up he would’ve seen Buzsaky and Cook in the centre and in space to just tap home into the empty net and make absolutely sure that the points stayed in W12 and aiding our minus goal difference.Simpson was substituted on 85 minutes and replaced by Rowan Vine.After four minutes of added on time, we’re not too sure where they came from, the victory was sealed and two wins in four days saw Rangers’ rise to 15th in the table and more importantly six point clear of the relegation battle (with a game in hand on most of the teams down there) and nine points behind Cardiff in sixth as the impossible play off dream continues (wink wink nudge nudge).

The job done by Rangers’ tonight was very professional and got the job done with minimal fuss. The statistic that we only had one shot on target (not sure how it’s only one when we scored two) and nine shots off target shows that we were creative when going forwards and the more impressive figure of only three Plymouth shots, two of which on target, just shows how well the back four, especially Stewart, played tonight. Ikeme looked very good in goal tonight and commanded his area well. What was particularly pleasing is the way he came to collect crosses and corners and helping his defenders out as much as possible. It’s clear to see that he got a massive confidence boost from Saturday and hopefully that’s the springboard from him to go on and do well now until the end of the season.

Finally I must credit Plymouth’s fans tonight after making the long ol’ poke to W12. 863 of the ‘Green Army!’ came to Loftus Road despite their teams troubled and must be commended for their support. I hope they all had a safe journey back to Devon.

All that remains for us to do is name tonight’s Man of the Match. As Lofty was not in attendance tonight I decided that California Hoop, PK, Corp and Jenson had the vote on how would get the honour.There was a shortlist of three drawn up by our panel. Damion Stewart and Hogan Ephraim were up for the award but after a stellar performance and looking to be back to his creative best, coupled with an ability to pick out some delightful through balls, a goal and an assist, the award tonight goes to Adel Taarabt.

Sunday, March 07, 2010

The perfect present for Lofty and Corp.

This Saturday saw Neil Warnock take charge of his first match in charge of QPR against a West Brom side that are battling for automatic promotion and would provide a stern test for the troops, here’s how the day panned out.

Today was a day (and night) of celebrations as it was the day that the Lofty Heights crew celebrated two birthday’s, Lofty’s and Corp’s (I won’t reveal ages because you won’t believe how young they really are!). We assembled outside a cold Springbok at around 2ish for the usual meet and greet and pre match warm up beer before entering the ground. The atmosphere around the ground and in the ground was extremely positive. Since the Mittal’s have taken over and appointed Ishlan Saksena as Chairman and appointing Neil Warnock as manager, the club has a new sense of hope and excitement, I wish both parties all the best of luck for what looks to be an exciting future.

Neil Warnock’s first team selection bought four changes to last Saturday’s losing side at Middlesbrough. Peter Ramage, Akos Buzsaky and Antonio German dropped to the bench whilst Lee Cook missed out with a virus, in their places came Matt Connolly, Adel Taarabt, Hogan Ephraim and Tamas Priskin.

Prior to kick off there was a minute’s applause in memory of Mike Keen’s death a year ago and also for Macclesfield manager Keith Alexander who sadly passed away earlier this week, just hours after taking charge of their game at Notts County.

Rangers started off the game the brighter of the two teams and it looked as if Warnock had instructed the team to play in a 4-2-3-1 formation, a system that worked fantastically well at the beginning of the season and bought a string of brilliant results. In this formation Adel Taarabt was playing just behind the front man and was receiving a lot of the ball and creating plenty of trouble for the West Brom defence. It was Taarabt’s cross that lead to the R’s first goal of the afternoon.Scott Carson fumbled Taarabt’s right wing cross into the path of Hogan Ephraim, who couldn’t turn the ball home but the ball rolled into the path of Jay Simpson and he was more than happy to tuck home from six yards out and gave us the perfect start we all hoped for.This goal helped the R’s faithful get behind the team that little bit more and once again we became that 12th man that the team had been lacking in the home fixtures this season. With the noise levels being cranked up the confidence grew and ultimately the second goal came, and what a goal it was.The passing in the build up to the goal made this special and really set the tone of what we should expect from the players as they get used to the new man in charge. Taarabt had the ball on the left and after passing to Priskin and then Faurlin, it was the latter that played a perfectly weighted pass to Matt Connolly, he took one touch before sliding the ball under Carson and finished off a sublime piece of passing football by the Superhoops.The two goals had really settled Rangers down and they begun to play some wonderful football.Ikeme was soon called into action though as former R’s loanee Ben Watson drove an effort on goal after Gorkss’ weak clearance and the Wolves loanee was more than up to the challenge and tipped the effort wide for a corner.That was the warning sign that Rangers unfortunately failed to recognise and just minutes later some poor defending lead to West Brom pulling one back.Jerome Thomas, another former R’s loanee, sent a cross into the back post to Chris Brunt and his header looped over Ikeme, who lost his footing, into the back of the net. This goal made the R’s fans go pretty quiet for a while and lead to a nervous 10 minutes before half time.The R’s backline managed to cope with the pressure and hung on in there and went into half time and gave Neil Warnock the chance to give his first team talk of his tenure and I’m sure there were plenty of positives to say in the dressing room but I’m sure that a slight kick up the backsides were given as well.

Downstairs on the gantry the mood was a positive one and the general feeling was that we had a good half an hour but looked to take our foot off the pedal slightly and looked very shaky after the goal. Despite this we were more than confident of a result that we didn’t think was possible until now.

We just missed the start of the second half due to having too much positive stuff to talk about and with the teams back on the pitch it was the visitors who had the first chance of the second half.Jerome Thomas once again broke away down the Baggies left and his teasing cross was just cut out by Damion Stewart. Moments later West Brom broke down the right side with Chris Brunt and his cross was met by Simon Cox this time around and he failed to hit the target from this golden opportunity.On the hour mark Akos Buzsaky came on for Hogan Ephraim.Within 5 minutes of coming on Buzsaky nearly turned provider for a 3rd R’s goal of the day. His corner from the Rangers left was met by Damion Stewart from six yards out and how he never managed to score is beyond me, but Carson saved from close range.On 67 minutes the game was sealed and in a very bizarre fashion!Buzsaky took a free kick from the left hand side and around 40 yards out. His cross eluded everyone, bounced near the penalty spot, past Carson and hit the post before bouncing out and then spinning back in towards goal and creeping in at the opposite post, bizarre but who cares! 3-1 and we were heading towards a vital three points that no-one could’ve envisioned us getting at the start of the day.Jay Simpson had a glorious chance to score a fourth after he was played in by a brilliant through ball by Rowan Vine, unfortunately the R’s top scorer was put off at the last minute and his shot dribbled just wide of the target.West Brom did press in the final 10 minutes of the game but with the R’s backline holding firm for the remainder of the game the points were sealed and three precious points stayed in W12. After the final whistle Neil Warnock instructed all the players out onto the pitch to give the fans a clap, I think this is the first time in many years that more than 4-5 players has done this and was a really nice touch at the end of a day were the club grew ever stronger and built a better platform for the players and fans of the club to move forwards together.

A really good performance from Rangers and the battling quality that you knew Neil Warnock would install into the team was there to see. Watching Warnock stand in the technical area throughout the 90 minutes waving his arms around in a wild disco inferno/air guitar type style was interesting to see and you could see that he was kicking every ball with everyone out there today. Keith Curle was also out there for the duration of the game so it’s safe to say that there were plenty of instructions being thrown around out there today.

We move onto Lofty’s Man of the Match. There are a few players that stood out for us today. Damion Stewart was a rock at the heart of the defence and nearly got himself on the scoresheet. Jay Simpson run his socks off today and was very unlucky to only have one goal to his name after a sterling performance. Today’s award however goes to someone who battled away at the heart of the midfield and is becoming a focal point of the holding midfield role, so for this Alejandro Faurlin gets the spoils today.

After the game the gang once again met up at the Springbok for some birthday drinks to help Lofty and Corp celebrate their separate milestones. Amongst the group were Lofty, Corp, PK, California Hoop, Jenson, Sam, Justin, Jointy, Matt, George, Steve, Small Bladder, Ibiza (with his wife) and one or two members names that I really can’t remember as its now 3am as I’m writing this.After a few swift halves in the Bok we moved onto Nandos that provided the base for more drinking antics for everyone (except me as I was driving). A visit to The Green was next on the agenda and we met the lovely Jill and her friend Lucy in there as another couple of hours drinking were enjoyed.I left the group as they embarked on a trip to the Walkabout and then at my last point of contact they had moved onto Acton.It was a great night out for everyone and I hope Lofty and Corp had a fantastic night of drinking, they were both very much on the way as I left them.

The boys even posed for a photo once enough drink had been poured down their throats so I could show all the viewers who the famous Lofty and Corp are....... Happy Birthday lads!!